How Has The Housing Crisis Affected Home Fashion Retail?

There are some obvious reasons of how the housing crisis is affecting fashio retail: for instance, people are having to pay a much higher mortgage, thus not leaving them extra cash to go out and shop.

The other obvious reason is that, with having to pay higher mortagage, households have to pay other expenses such as food, gas, phone bills, electric, and other miscellaneous expenses.

With the economy the way it is now, people are on a saving alert. They are not spending as much, instead they are saving for other emergencies There are other necessities to worry about rather than having the latest fashion. The fashion retail stores are going to be hurting for the time being, but I believe this unfortunite circumstance will surpass sooner or later.

Furthermore, the housing crisis is having a global affect. For example, "California's housing crisis is largely of its own making-the escalating consequence of failed pulic polices that determines how communities grow." More than 2.2 million low-income homeowners and renters in urban California are paying more for housing that they should. This is where their money shortage comes to play; they don't have enough left for other necessities.

"...about 2/3 pay mire than half of their income for housing and 91% pay more than the recommended 30%." These are the low-income homeowners.

Affordable housing could be fixed because I do not believe it is too late, nor the problem is insurmountable. All there needs to be done is hard work, and everyone working together to help diminish the issue at hand.

Sources:

Rebuilding The Dream: Solving California's Affordable Housing.

http://www.lhc.ca.gov/lhcdir/165/report165.pdf

A New Solution For The Housing Crisis.

http://www.qando.net/details.aspx?Entry=7712

The challenges of apparel retail

 This graph is showing the trend in sales from '96 to '05.  As one can see, it is somewhat fluctuating, but nonetheless it is on an downhill slope.  

FASHION AND APPAREL

Current Challenges: Fashion is a forever changing scene.  It can come and go like  men.  Changing trends, short life cycle products, fluctuating seasonal demands, technology evolution and high customer churn often require that fashion retailers transform their infrastructure and processes. It is an arduous task trying to keep up with current demands and managing complex supply chains, real-time collaboration, and advanced analytics to forecast demand for short life cycle products and new product introductions; which are all critical for success.

GENERAL MERCHANDISE RETAILING

Current Challenges: Competition will always be the one factor that drives each and every businesses out there in the world.  With increasing competition, reduced brand loyalty, and shrinking margins general merchandize "retailers must enhance their supply chain efficiencies, improve customer analytics, and excel in service delivery. Other priorities include improving demand forecasting to optimize stock levels, and enhancing customer knowledge through data analysis to target the right customer segments."

With the way the economy is at this stage in life, the apparel retailers will most likely to experience a decline of shoppers for the following school year.  Many people will be laid off of work, or is working less hours; thus, limit the amount of money they can spend.  People will buy what is necessary rather than on material goods, such as in this case, clothing for back to school.  

"Most kids will be returning to school in last year's duds," Lazard Capital Markets analyst Todd Slater wrote in a report after seeing the July results from apparel retailers.

With some exceptions, the apparel industry has been plagued in recent years with the lack of must-have trends, but a challenging economy is forcing shopppers to cut back even more. The financial woes are not evaporating anytime soon. Shoppers are struggling with higher food and gas bills, tighter credit, a persistent housing slump and increasing layoffs.  With that being said, I think the apparel retailers will have to figure out some way to enhance their sales, or they will have to decrease their inventory because it'll reduce costs.  If they're not making the money they should be making, then it wouldn't make sense to have all these goods in stock, and just be sitting there.

Moreover, The New York City apparel industry has played a vital economic role in New York City and in the American industrial sector over the last century and it continues to do so today.  

"The New York City apparel industry faces great challenges as it seeks to maintain and expand its vital economic output and it stands today in a crucial state of transition." The global economic shifts is having a great impact on its daily functions.  However, the Garment Industry Development Corporation is working hard with the industry to capitalize on its strengths and to develop smart strategies for a bright and viable future.   I believe that the apparel industries in New York will be fine.  New York City has a fundamental strength,  it is the world’s “fashion capitol.”  

There are many celebrities visiting and living in that area, and they are always up for spending some cash.  It is just one of those cities that will always have visitors and spenders.  The recession will not last forever, so if the apparel retailers could just hang on through this tough time, everything should be alright again.

 Sources:

New York Apparel Industry.  [Online].  <http://www.gidc.org/index.php/aboutgidc/ny-apparel-industry-information>.

http://www.tcs.com/industries/retail/segments/Pages/default.aspx

D'Innocenzio,Anne.  Apparel retailers face tough back-to-school time. [Online]. <http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-08-07-1947799814_x.htm>

Sweatshops

I must admit that before doing a little bit of research about sweatshops, I did not know there are several in the U.S. Being narrow-minded that I am, I thought that China is among one of the countries with sweatshops. Many people are against sweatshops in general, but there are others that is for it. To me, it depends on the circumstances; such as the working condition, or the wages. This image on the left depicts a graph showing what the workers get paid in different countries and the number of days worked/earn.

A sweatshop is a shop or factory in which employees work long hours at low wages under poor conditions. This definition is more or less correct. I believe that sweatshops in most areas have changed from working in poor condition to a much better working environment. For instance, The Department of Labor defines a work place as a sweatshop if it violates two or more of the most basic labor laws including child labor, minimum wage, overtime and fire safety laws. For many, the word sweatshop conjures up images of dirty, cramped, turn of the century New York tenements where immigrant women worked as seamstresses. High-rise tenement sweatshops still do exist, but, today, even large, brightly-lit factories can be the sites of rampant labor abuses.

Sweatshop workers report horrible working conditions including sub-minimum wages, no benefits, non-payment of wages, forced overtime, sexual harassment, verbal abuse, corporal punishment, and illegal firings. Children can often be found working in sweatshops instead of going to school. Sweatshop operators are notorious for avoiding giving maternity leave by firing pregnant women and forcing women workers to take birth control or to abort their pregnancies. For these different reasons I am against sweatshops, period. However; I think that situations can be fixed, and I believe there are shops out there that takes good care of its employees.

Sweatshops are a good idea because it gives people jobs. It is also a job that does not require much education, it can be taught in a day. Therefore, people who do no have the money for education or time, can consider working in the sweatshop industry.

The notorious sweatshops of the age of Big Business (the late 19th and early 20th centuries) virtually disappeared after World War II because of increased government regulation of monopolies and the rise of trade unions. Sweatshops began to reappear again, however, during the 1980's and 1990's because of economic globalization. Today1s economy is described as global because advancements in technology have made it possible for large corporations that were once confined to a specific geographic location to become large "multi-nationals."

If you're wondering if there are any sweatshops in the United States, the answer is yes. According to the Department of Labor, over 50% of U.S. garment factories are sweatshops. Many sweatshops are run in this country's apparel centers: California, New York, Dallas, Miami and Atlanta.

The majority of the workshops are located in different areas. There are probably sweatshops in every country in the world - anywhere where there is a pool of desperate, exploitable workers. Logically, the poorer a country is the more exploitable its people are. Labor violations are, therefore, especially widespread in third world countries. Nike has been criticized for unethical labor practices in its Chinese, Vietnamese and Indonesian shoe factories, and Haitian garment factories. Non-profit groups have documented the labor violations of retailers like Philips-Van Heusen and the Gap in factories throughout Latin America.

In conclusion, there are many different points to consider when deciding if sweatshops are good or bad. In an ideal situation, there would be a balance between production overseas and production in the United States. Companies would pay employees the current minimum wage and meet the standardized regulations relating to the work environment. Some American companies have already taken the first step in improving work conditions across the globe. With the help of the public, we can make sweatshops a thing of the past.

Sources:

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/sweatshops/sweatshopsfaq.html

http://www.neoperspectives.com/sweatshopsandwelfare.htm

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/madeinmisery/148660_day2home18.html

Fashion: Art or Usability?

The Milan Fashion Week showcased a mixture of old and new styles. However, there were some that I didn't particularly find appealing or pleasing to the eyes.

The New York Fashion Week is very different from London's show. According to a reporter, Liam Obrien, "London Fashion Week is always more about promise than polish. The clothes aren’t expected to be beautifully tailored or consistent in concept like those shown in New York, Paris and Milan."

I enjoyed the New York Fashion a little more because the whole show felt more new and futuristic. The shoes were crazy high and gorgeous. The Milan's Fashion Week comes in second. Milan's entire show was not as lavish and decorative as I hoped it would be. The pieces were nice, but not eye-popping. Lastly, Paris fashion week is my third favorite. I thought that the collections were very safe. I did not see anything so incredible that I had to have it. Overall, all three fashion week shows was amazing, and it makes me want to be one of those designers!

The below images are of the dresses I did not like, and ones I liked. The ones I dislike is because I didn't think that it was very flattering. It looks rather "manly" to me. The colors are not great either because the tan makes the model look more pale. The next dress is sort of scary looking with the braid-like pattern. The ones I do like is because I simply love the color and the way it looks on the body. The white empire dress with the black belt-like around the waist is adorable. I love the simplicty and the length of it. The other dress with the bow is very pretty, and I think it's just the right proportion to the body. The color scheme goes well together.

According to one of the criticism article, there were three prominent designers, Mr. Simons, Ms. Prada andMarc Jacobs. "Ms. Prada’s most dynamic evening look is a printed organdy tunic with sheer trousers. Mr. Simons uses layers of organdy, tulle or viscose knits both to reveal the body and to give the illusion of transparency. And like Mr. Jacobs, though with more finesse and control, Mr. Simons feels a need at the moment to strip things down, to arrive at a clear shape with the absolute minimum of design."

The transparency look was really cool looking. It gave the feeling of liberty and freshness/pure. To me, fashion should not only be art, but at the same time should be usable. The majority of pieces from the Milan's Fashion Show are usable. Most could be RTW, with minimum alteration. In addition, I also think that fashion is also art, in every shape and size. The fabric itself has color, shape, size, and it sends a message of some sort to other people. I define art as anything that showcases a sense of feeling, curiosity, and imagination. Fashion in this sense is every way an art form. That is because clothes can have a deep impact on how one interpret others and it also says something about a person, thus invokes curiosity.

References:

Claire, Marie. Milan Fashion Week: Day 4. 26 October.http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/fashion/181634/milan-fashion-week-day-four.html.

Horyn, Cathy. Eroticism, Transparency and Overt Luxury in Milan. Fashion Review. 25 September 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/fashion/shows/26REVIEW-.html. 26 October 2008.

Obrien, Liam. London Fashion Week Critique. 28 February 2008.

http://www.nouse.co.uk/2008/02/23/london-fashion-week-critique/. 26 October 2008.

Main Trends of the Paris Fashion Week

The middle dress is very interesting. It screams "parrots!!!"

I love these two dresses. The yellow one is more RTW. The white dress just looks cool.

I liked the Paris Fasion Week's show just as much as I liked the New York's show. I didn't really see anything that popped out so conspicuously, but there were few dresses that caught my attention.

I noticed that the Paris's fashion show displayed a little more tailored pieces as well as layers, mix and match, attitude, and less free-flowing fabrics. The designer's clothes had a more "stiff" feeling to me. For example, the white dress by Givenchy did not have much movement, but it had texture and layers. I think the designer might have gotten the inspiration by roses because to me it looks like white rose petals.

The one dress that stood out for me was the dress that looked like a parrot. The design was by Alexander McQueen. I think it is apparent where the inspiration came from because one look at it you can see an immediate resemblance to parrots. I didn't particularly like it but it's an eye-catcher. It worked for the show.

The yellow dress was by my favorite designer, Valentino. I love the color yellow, and I think the design fits appropriately with the way the dress is structured. It looks very elegant. As mentioned earlier, I think the design reminds viewers of flower petals. The majority of the dresses seemed to be resembling nature, which in this case are rose petals. The colors most used were reds, greys, white, black, pastels and nude.

My other favorite was a beautiful red dress by Rynshu for Masatomo. I just want to know how the dress holds up like that. It has a life of its own, and the design itself is really impressive. I hope to create something like that one day.

For the most part the collection projected a strong, clear, sexy attitude. That certainly suggests an attempt to answer the needs of the market.

References:

Cathy Horyn. Paris: Slaves to Romance. [Online] ( September 30th).

http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/30/paris-slaves-to-romance/index.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Fashion Week Daily. [Online] (October 6, 2008).

http://blogs.fashionweekdaily.com/

Liam OBrien. London Fashion Week Critique. [Onlinw] ( February 23rd, 2008).

http://www.stylefix.net/fashion-week-paris-galliano-does-dior/

! My Dress Designs !

A design of my sister's wedding dress. I'm designing several more and then she'll pick her favorite. It will be creamy white, satin fabric, with some lace trailing off at the bottom.

This design on the left was inspired by the globe. I stared at it one day and decided to draw a design that sort of look like the globe, don't ask why. I was thinking the dress would be deep royal blue with chiffon outter-lining. The fabric would be metallic silk.

This one on left is one of my fav. It's very revealing, but I think it would be very pretty if it is designed right and with a beautiful model wearing it! I think this dress should be rich red, made of silk as well. The ties should be diamonds to add some sparkle, and silver diamond stileto heels to match. The other design on the upper right is a design inspired by lamp shades, with a combination of styles that I have seen online or fashion shows. The dress would be black and white, made of 50% cotton, and 50% polyester. The shoes should be red to give it a splash of color.

I have been interested in fashion since the sixth grade. I had made attempts to make my own clothes, but I was not very successful. The first item I made was a dress for a school project. It was 90% rayon, and 10% polyester. It was a pink, zebra printed fabric. It took me about two weeks to make it because the majority of it was, and had to be hand-sewin. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. The hard part was choosing the fabric, and the style. I really liked the slit on the side then, so that that was what I ended up making. The front has a slight v, and the straps are made of pink beads to add some flare. The beads later broke and now it's stapless. My inspiration came from a girl's zebra sandals. I got a B for the final grade. I wore this dress to church on several occasions because I was so happy that I made it. The picture of the dress is shown above.

This second dress is the dress that I made for Homecoming '06. This project was extremely time consuming! It nearly took a full month because the entire ensemble was completely made by hands! I used leftover fabric that was very difficult to work with, and it could not be stitched using a sewing machine. It was a mixture of chiffon and polyester and nylon. The combination made it hard to keep straight and sew a perfect stitch. I used purple laces to make the dress more pretty. The dress is metallic silver and it reflects light. I had to use liners too because it could be seen through. I got the idea from one of my halloween costumes. It mostly resembles an empire dress. This dress is shown above the pink dress, the front and back of it.

The sketched pictures are the ones I am drawing right now. They are ideas conjured up from different ideas, and inspirations. I am designing dresses for the women in my life. I am also designing a wedding dress for my sister, and a dress I hope to make for my mom and myself. I have more ideas, but ultimately I do not want to be the woman making these dresses, I want to just design it and projects of that nature. Ultimately my ideas come from designs I have seen somewhere, magazine ads, or internet, or fashion shows.

Ethnic Influences on Apparel Design

It would be pretty hard to imagine that no designers out there have not had any sort of inspirations or concepts that have been influenced by other designers, ideas, or places such as the mall or a foreign country.

For instance, a research was conducted to see "...how strength of ethnic identification influences attitudes toward and ownership of ethnic apparel, importance of product and store-display attributes, and purchase intention among A Asian American consumers in Hawaii." The sample included 167 Asian Americans who visited apparel stores in Honolulu that had Asian-inspired clothing predominantly displayed." This is good example of how individuals can be inspired by a new setting, place, environment, and the culture of dress. By adding different elements to your apparel, it will add a twist of freshness and creativity. The idea is to have line that stands out from other designers.

It's not easy to imitate nor one should imitate other's ideas because that would be fraudulent, and just plain wrong. Nevertheless designers do attempt to re-create a similar line through their own interpretation. The above images of the cloth are examples of imitation of designs. The one on the very top is an imitation of the printed cloth below it. As you can see, the prints are not identical, but you can see where the inspirations came from. I own several pieces of clothing where I can tell that the designer their influence came from. For the most part I think that it's great the designers are striving to be original and using more ethnic influences because it makes their cloths look more unique, and not just the typical "American dress."

Furthermore, ethnic influences are also influenced by demographics. For example, age, sex, race, family size, level of income, education, occupation, and location of residence are all things that will determine the success of a company, or line of clothing, or just in general. Designers usually design to a specific target, such as teens for example. It would not appropriate to design "old ladylike" clothing for teens because that will not go anywhere. In addition, depending on the income, consumers will buy accordingly with how much as they have to lose. Last but not least, sex plays a big role on how consumers will behave. Girls of today tend to wear tighter and more flashy clothes, and the boys wear very loose fitting, and baggy pants and graphic t-shirts.

In conclusion, ethnic influences on apparel is a much practiced tactic that many designers use to enhance their line. Human societies are not closed; we are continuously receiving stimuli from each other that affect dress. Dress is worn to identify a group, but at the same time to distinguish one's self from other groups.

References:

Giddings, V.L. (1990). African American dress in the 1960s. In Starke, B.M., Holloman, L.O., &Nordquist, B.K., eds., African American Dress and Adornment: A Cultural Perspective, Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., pp. 152-155.

Mead, P.& Pederson, E.L. (1995). West African apparel textiles depicted in selected magazines from 1960 to 1979: Application of cultural authentication. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 23(4), 430-452.

New York Fashion Week!

The main trends of the New York fashion week appears to be a mixture of everything. I did not see anything in particulare that was consistent throughout the photos that I viewed.

The Top 10 Most Interesting Trends from New York:

-Seasonless Clothing

-Black-clad Femme Fatale

-Fur-Grey Dresses

-Slouchy

-Chic, High

-Waisted Trousers

-Metallics

-Color, Color & More Color

-Hats

-Spats

-Touches of Classic Red

There were a couple of dresses that I really liked for one reason or another. I really liked the dress on the above right, I love the color collaborations. It just screams fresh to me. It reminds me of Cleopatra for some odd reason. It might not be very practical for wearing at school setting, but maybe for a very formal event, or a modern ball. It's definitely made for she catwalk, but anything goes for me. When it comes to clothing, I wear what I feel like wearing.

There was one designer in particular that I liked, BCBGMAXAZRIA . I really like his catwalk collection of dresses. I especially like this one peachy-orange dress (shown above). I like the simplicity of it, yet it was sexy and elegant. I would definitely wear it!! :) Overall, I think the NY Fashion Week was very impressive, vibrant with lots of colors.

Source: http://www.mbfashionweek.com/newyork/spring2009/designers/bcbgmaxazria/index.html

http://www.designersurf.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/nyc-fashion-week.jpg

Organic and Environmental Friendly Clothing

I am totally for the organic and environmental friendly clothing. I have seen some people wear it, and you cannot tell the difference, and it looks just as good as regular material made from animals, and such. I don't think that many people are aware that there are organic clothing out there, which is why you don't see many wearing it.
Furthermore, according to the Organic Trade Association, organic fiber sales rose approximately 23 % in 2003, which brings organic fibers in the marketplace to 0.04% of the total marketplace fibers. the OTA estimates a 11-18% per year in the span of the next four years. "Although alternative fibers can complicate the production process, manufacturers continue to pursue them." (OTA)
Some examples of organic fiber are, organic wool, which will assures sheep are treated in an ethical manner and helps promote organic agriculture. Next there is organic cotton, which will eliminate the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizer, delfoliants and other toxins. Currently, organic cotton makes up only 0.06% of the world's supply. Hemp is known for its strength and insulate properties, and been used for thousand of years. "It is the strongest natural fiber known, wicks moisture and helps block UV and UVB rays." (Berne Broudy). Last but not least, bamboo, a grass fiber, wild harvested and mostly in China. There is a limited demand for bamboo, but it is being considered for making organic fibers.
I have learned a few things about these natural fibers, and I think that this is not just a trend, but a revolution, and it is here to stay.

source:

http://geartrends.com/geartrends/upload/winter_ch4.2.pdf

My Favorite Designer

My favorite designer is Valentino. The number one reason is because he makes GORGEOUS dresses! I can see myself wearing most of them. I love the styles he creates,the color, and texture of the fabric. He makes everything look so glamorous, and beautiful and the woman wearing it look radiant. He has a great sense of what will flatter the body. I would love to wear of his dresses for my wedding. :) In addition, his handbags are also very nice looking, and would go with most anything. I also love his perfumes, it smells really really good. Overall, I think he has a great business sense of what works, and what do not. He knows how to market well, and where to focus his attention. I think it would be a great honor to have an internship with him!!!! There are other designers whom I also like, but I have been a fan of his designs for the longest time.

2nd class session

First blog

This is my first blog. First class was great, teacher is REALLY cool! :)